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Silicon-based solar cells Characteristics and production processes ...

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<strong>Silicon</strong>-<strong>based</strong> <strong>solar</strong> <strong>cells</strong> – characteristics <strong>and</strong> <strong>production</strong> <strong>processes</strong><br />

Evolution of global cumulative installed capacity2000-2011<br />

(MW)<br />

69684<br />

70000<br />

60000<br />

50000<br />

40000<br />

40019<br />

30000<br />

20000<br />

23210<br />

10000 1425 1753 2200 2798 3911 5340 6915 9443 15772<br />

0<br />

2000 20012002<br />

2002 200320042005<br />

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011<br />

Fig. 3. Total capacity of all types of <strong>solar</strong> <strong>cells</strong> globally manufactured in particular years [7],<br />

[8].<br />

The global photovoltaic industry, starting from the producers of <strong>solar</strong> cell base<br />

materials, through the manufacturers of <strong>cells</strong>, modules, device <strong>and</strong> material<br />

suppliers, up to the companies specializing in photovoltaic system installation,<br />

currently amount to 11000 enterprises. In China alone, there are, at present, 100<br />

companies specializing in silicon <strong>production</strong>, about 100 companies producing <strong>solar</strong><br />

<strong>cells</strong> <strong>and</strong> nearly 500 companies dealing with the manufacture of photovoltaic<br />

modules. The producers of thin-layer <strong>cells</strong> <strong>and</strong> modules amount to nearly 50<br />

enterprises. In Taiwan, 26 companies deal with the cell <strong>production</strong>, 32 companies<br />

assemble modules <strong>and</strong> 19 companies produce thin-layer <strong>cells</strong> <strong>and</strong> modules.<br />

In comparison to the Far East economies, Europe remains clearly behind, <strong>and</strong> only<br />

the German PV sector provides a reckoned position in this field. In Europe, <strong>solar</strong> <strong>cells</strong><br />

are produced only by 37 companies, modules – by 113 companies, <strong>and</strong> the<br />

<strong>production</strong> of thin-layer <strong>cells</strong> <strong>and</strong> modules is localized in 31 enterprises [9]. Analyzing<br />

also the investment scale in the PV sector, one can state that the biggest <strong>solar</strong> cell<br />

producers have their factories localized in China <strong>and</strong> Taiwan, which makes the<br />

proportional share of all the produced <strong>solar</strong> <strong>cells</strong> in 2009 amount to 49% only in those<br />

two countries.<br />

9

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